Christian Skofteland wrote: > > I'm sure the K1000 is a good basic camera but why do many people think it's a > good "student" camera? > > >From Boz's site: > "This big, heavy, and fully mechanical body offers no automation of any kind. > It offers only the most basic features: a light-tight box, a film advance, a > tripod socket, and a built-in light meter: all that one needs for learning > the basics of photography. This total lack of convenience features explains > the cult status of the K1000 among photo students worldwide. However, it > fails to explain its popularity with PDML members. I mean, do you people not > miss viewfinder information on aperture and shutter speed, a self-timer, a > DOF preview lever or minimal flash automation? Wouldn't a KX or a KM be a > better choice?"
Is that what Boz said? If so, I find myself disagreeing with him for the very first time! > Why is it "good" for students to have a total lack of viewfinder information > (barring of course exposure info)? Why does a student not need to know what > shutter speed he/she is shooting at without moving the camera from the eye to > look at the dial? For the same reason a math student is not allowed a calculator in the most basic courses of his or here math study. One must KNOW certain basics, the reason these basics exist and they must be able to derive answers for themselves, using logic and tried and true principals. A calculator bypasses these steps, and as a result cripples the student. IMMHO. > Why is it bad for a student to not be able to see what > aperture he/she is using so he/she can judge depth of field? A 'student' CANNOT 'judge' depth of field. If s/he's truly a student, they must be advised that depth of field depends solely on what focal length lens they have mounted, and depth-of-field tables cannot be memorized. Not by most of us, anyhow! <g> > When I was learning photography (I'm still learning but I have a full > understanding of exposure. I'm always learning) all I had was a Ricoh KR5. > It frustrated me on several levels but number one was not knowing what my > shutter and aperture was without moving the camera from my eye. (other > things that bothered me about this camera: no DOF preview (which the k1000 > lacks but is not needed for a beginner; Oh, now you admit, DOF preview is not needed for the beginner! >...after all they should understand what > DOF is first before adding this convenience) and a max shutter speed of 1/2 > (the k1000 has 1 sec which is fine)). > > Ok, the student should just be able to see relationship of aperture and > shutter-speed based on movements of the match needle exposure indicator, but > I feel that knowing the actual value is much more helpful to understand the > basics of photography. Not until you have hands on experience in choosing your OWN values, and seeing what transpires in the final print. > k1000 not a good "student" camera? Heresy? My opinion? Give me an MX any > day over a K1000.... HAH! I'm still looking for my own personal MX, but until then I have my SP-1000, K-1000, and MG to help me weather the sturm and drang of body-privation. <grin> I've been wielding 35mm cameras (and other formats) since about 1939 ~ and I still prefer to do it myself! I like to think I'm a better photographer because of it! Understand, please, I won't turn down the use of a more automatic camera, but at least I can go back and feel perfectly comfortable with a [shhhh...] MANUAL camera! > Christian Keith Whaley Los Angeles
